Dual subtitles on YouTube

YouTube shows one subtitle line at a time. For a language learner that is a problem. If you read only the translation, you stop listening. If you read only the original, you get stuck on words you do not know.

Dual subtitles fix this. You see the original line and the translation together, one above the other. You hear the language, you read how it is written, and you check the meaning in the same glance.

What you need

• A video with a subtitle track in the language you are learning. Subtitles made by the creator are best. Automatic captions work too.
• A second language for the translation. YouTube can translate most tracks on its own.
• A browser extension that shows both lines. Dual Subtitles is a free Chrome extension for this.

How to set it up

1. Install Dual Subtitles in Chrome.
2. Open any YouTube video that has subtitles in your target language.
3. Click the extension icon and pick the second language, for example your own.
4. Play the video. The original line is on top and the translation is right below it.

Your choice is remembered for each video. You can move the lines anywhere on the player and change the font, size and colors.

How to learn with two lines

• First watch with both lines on. Do not pause too often. Aim for the general meaning.
• Watch a second time with the translation hidden until you hover over it. Check only when you are unsure.
• When a word keeps coming back, click it and save it to your word book.
• Use the loop button on a line you like and repeat it until you can say it.

More on method: How to learn languages with YouTube.

Why automatic captions can look strange

Automatic captions are cut at odd places, often in the middle of a sentence. Dual Subtitles joins the pieces into whole sentences and matches the translation to the same sentence. This makes the second line much easier to read.

Limits

Dual Subtitles works on YouTube only. It needs a subtitle track in the original language. If a video has no subtitles at all, there is nothing to show. The quality of an automatic translation depends on the language pair, so treat it as a help and not as a final answer.

Get Dual Subtitles and try it on your next video.